Astrobiology
Astrobiology is the study of the origin, evolution, distribution, and future of life in the universe: extraterrestrial life and life on Earth. Astrobiology also encompasses the search for habitable environments in our Solar System and habitable planets outside our Solar System, the search for evidence of prebiotic chemistry, laboratory and field research into the origins and early evolution of life on Earth, and studies of the potential for life to adapt to challenges on Earth and in outer space.
The Earth and our Solar System are around 4.6 billion years old, however the Universe is a lot older, it's around 13.8 billion years old! That begs the question: could there be other solar systems out there which are a lot older than our own?
There are billions of stars in our own galaxy and billions more galaxies beyond. Does that mean there is a good chance of finding life beyond Earth?
We talk a lot about exoplanets having the building blocks of life and that they orbit in the Goldilocks zone, but what exactly are the building blocks of life and this goldilocks zone?
Exoplanet is a relatively new word used to describe a planetary body orbiting a star other than our own Sun. The word is a combination of Extra-Solar Planet.
